by Monica Palmer
Did you brush your teeth this morning? Did you remember deodorant?
I’m not trying to be nosy. I just want you to take a second to really think about a few of the little things that you routinely do, so you can understand how blessed you are.
Brushing your teeth may not feel like a remarkable event to you, so it’s quite simple to take it for granted. My mother used to tell me to always remember that the little things I take for granted might be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
I felt the truth of that philosophy this morning as I stared at the toothpaste tube in my hand. I thought about the low income families served by Missouri’s food banks who were quite possibly praying for a tube of toothpaste at that very moment.
Obviously, when you’re stacking priorities for families struggling to make ends meet, food trumps toothpaste. Food is a basic human need. Toothpaste is not. That said, many Americans would consider household items like toothpaste, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, and diapers to be essential items.
Federal assistance programs like SNAP focus solely on food, and SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase household items. This leaves members of poverty-stricken households to resort to some harsh coping strategies. According to a recent study published by Feeding America, one in three families report having to employ strategies such as brushing teeth without toothpaste, skipping laundry or dishwashing, and even reusing disposable diapers.
Can you imagine the implications of such coping strategies on a family’s safety, health, and emotional stability?
The six food banks in Missouri focus on helping our neighbors in need access food that is essential for sustaining life, but they also work to procure and distribute household items that are essential to sustaining a healthy lifestyle. Schedule a tour of your local food bank, and you’ll probably see boxes of diapers, toilet paper, and other household items. This is a small part of what your food bank does to help lift struggling families up out of the depths of hopelessness.
You can help support the work of Missouri food banks by donating food or household items, or you can donate the funds to purchase these items. You can also donate your time as a volunteer. You may not have much to give, but your little bit may just be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
